You know, for a guy who just won his conference, Scott Brooks can’t really get much respect. OK, he gets a lot of respect. But probably not as much as he deserves.

Brooks is of course without a contract extension, a free agent after June 30th, despite having just navigated a team so young it needs a parent to see films with the naughty bits to the NBA Finals. ESPN reports that Brooks and his agent are looking for a deal “north of $4 million per year” which puts him in line with what Tom Thibodeau reportedly wants. So what if the Thunder won’t pay it? What if they won’t go for the number of years, as ESPN reports is the hold-up?

ESPN also reports the Thunder have some, shall we say, back-up plans:

The reality is that Brooks and his bosses, after months of talks, don’t have a deal … and time is running out. And sources say that the Thunder, just to be safe, have started brainstorming in-house about whom they plan to pursue should negotiations with Brooks collapse. Two names, according to sources, that have come up in those discussions: ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy and, yes, 11-ringed coaching free agent Phil Jackson.

You’d still be wise to expect an extension for Brooks in the near future.

Those are some back-up plans. It’s likely that those names have been tossed out to try and drive down Brooks’ price. That’s the most likely scenario, that this is a bunch of smoke and mirrors in negotiation. But either one represents an interesting choice. Van Gundy is a bit of a worrier so that would be a radical departure, but his defensive schemes would do wonders in an area the Thunder need help. He brings credibility in a big way. But would he mess with the chemistry? You have to wonder if so many years away broadcasting have mellowed the former Knicks and Rockets coach.

Jackson… is a bit more complicated. Any deal with Jackson comes with ties to personnel control. And limitations on how much time he’ll be spending. And is Jackson really going to trek it to Oklahoma City that regularly, considering he’s already hanging out in remote Montana? The conservative nature of the Sooner State is likely an impact as well, it doesn’t exactly vibe with Jackson’s general outlook.

But Jackson’s reportedly been waiting on another “opportunity” and this would be a big one.

But, no. Brooks will be re-signed, because you don’t let the guy who took you to within three wins (or a couple of calls) of an NBA title walk away. Not when chemistry has been such a big contributing factor for the club, and not when the franchise ultra-star has the man’s back. It’s just not done.

“Oh, they’re– they’re using LeBron every possible way they can. He’s such a great player. I still think his game is gonna grow. I still think it’s gonna grow. But he was like Scottie Pippen was to the Bulls. He’s maybe a pass first and shoot second player. Whereas, you know, Michael or Kobe are like, “I’m gonna shoot this ball.” Every time they get the ball, they’re looking to score. LeBron’s not like that. And I love that about him. But he also, when he goes after scoring, he’s also terrific. You want a player that can do both. I tried to get Kobe to do both for numbers of years, and he could. But his first instinct is to beat the guy that’s in front of him.”

Mike Brown never labored under illusion that he could change Kobe’s game. He just turned the mamba loose and stood back. But you can understand what Phil wants, the happy medium between LeBron and Kobe.

One criticism of the Heat has been that LeBron and Dwyane Wade don’t play well together. Jackson doesn’t see it.

“ They’re doin’ great together. I mean, they really play off each other well. They are doing really well together.”

Jackson said he had not considered coaching those two for the Heat, but added he thought he and Pat Riley and he could get along just fine. Sure, sure they can. When have two guys with huge egos and very different styles not meshed seamlessly?

It’d be a fun experiment to try out just for the laughs, but that’s moot. Not going to happen.

Well, it won’t be the Knicks or Magic, but the old weirdo’s got another ride left in him.

From the AP:

Phil Jackson says “there might be” an NBA job that would lure him out of retirement.

The 11-time NBA champion coach tells HBOs “Real Sports” that the Knicks and Magic openings this offseason were not the positions to bring him back to the bench. In an interview scheduled to air Tuesday night, Jackson confirms that New York, where he started his playing career, didnt contact him before removing the interim tag from Mike Woodsons title, but “I wasnt going to take the job, thats for sure.”

Jackson goes on to say how the Knicks roster doesn’t go together, and how Carmelo Anthony doesn’t pass. In other news, the sky is blue and gravity works.

But here’s where it gets kind of interesting.

Jackson said that the reason he didn’t take the Magic job is that it was too far from his home in Montana. Reports indicated that one of the issues between the Magic and Jackson was that they wanted him in the office and he wanted to telecommute. 21st Century and all. But if Jackson’s looking for somewhere closer to home, you have to look at the options. The Blazers just hired their new GM. Not so much a team in Seattle, anymore. You know, the Clippers… nevermind.

The truth is that trying to suss out what Jackson’s really going to do is impossible, as it has been. The man does what he wants, because he’s earned the right to in this business, and lives a different life, always has. He could wind up anywhere, really. But this is a not-so-subtle announcement. He’s available. You just have to have the right situation.

UPDATE 10:59 pm: Everyone who should be involved in these conversations about Phil Jackson to Orlando says they have no idea what we are all talking about. From the AP:

However, Jackson’s longtime agents, Todd and Brian Musburger, said Wednesday that the Magic has never contacted them about Jackson. And a league source familiar with the Magic’s search for a new general manager said that Vincent was not speaking for the Magic, nor are the Magic interested in hiring Jackson.

“One, Phil never voiced any interest in Orlando,” Todd Musburger said “never had us check it out, never checked it out himself. Two, Orlando never called.”

Here’s how this works. Sam Vincent (the former Bulls player under Jackson who would be the Magic GM in this scenario) is trying to work this out and he and his people are doing it all through back channels. There have been no formal conversations yet — call it plausible deniability. It’s how deals often get done. By the time the Magic and Jackson would actually formally start talking a foundation would be in place.

But these kinds of talks — from trades to coach movement — go on all the time, and 99 percent of the time nothing comes of it. This time it seems very unlikely anything actually happens. But it doesn’t mean there are not people pushing for it. And it helps them to get the public talking about it.

8:59 am: I’ve said here before that I expect Phil Jackson to find a role in the NBA again, just not as a coach. I think he’s done with that grind, but the guy loves competition and power. He’s not just riding off into a Montana sunset.

According to the sources, the latest version of the proposal has Pacers assistant and ex-Lakers assistant Brian Shaw coaching the team and Hall of Famer and Bulls ambassador Scottie Pippen as the lead assistant. And as if Jackson’s potential price tag wasn’t daunting enough (he earned $12 million in his last year with the Lakers), one of the sources said he is asking for a slice of minority ownership in the franchise as well. The hope, of course, would be for Jackson to use his cachet to convince Dwight Howard to remain in Orlando for the long-term. Jackson’s agent, Todd Musburger, did not return a call for comment.

The idea is being pushed by former Bobcats coach (and Bulls player under Jackson) Sam Vincent, who would have a hands-on, day-to-day role in the front office. (It’s in their interest to have this public, also, to see if it fires up the Orlando fan base, thereby moving the needle with management.) Jackson would work remotely much of the time, either from his Montana ranch or Jeannie Buss’ home in Los Angeles where he still spends time.

Would just the mere name of Jackson really convince Howard to stay? I’m not convinced, it sounds to me like he just wants out, something this report confirms. Amick suggests the Magic aren’t convinced either

Yet fascinating as the idea might be, Magic CEO Alex Martins appears to be against the idea of having an absentee leader — no matter how many rings he has. In the plan, Jackson — according to one of the sources — would work in Orlando one week out of every month and agree to make six community appearances every month as well.

It sounds like a long shot still. But if the Magic are really looking to do something different and bring in a name guy who certainly has some clout, this would be a move to consider. Just don’t expect it to happen.

We have reached a compelling intersection of what is and what could be. The fact that the protagonists are Pat Riley and Phil Jackson makes it all the more intriguing of a case study.

At the very moment when the Riley-as-front-office-sage approach is coming under fire 200 miles south on Florida’s Turnpike, there is increased clamor in Orlando about Phil Jackson possibly arriving to provide direction.

The lesson of the moment is the limitations of coaching greatness relocating to the out-of-view reaches of the front office.

Because at this very moment, perhaps even more than in 2006 when he stepped in as coach to lead the Heat to the franchise’s only championship, it can be argued that Riley has never been needed more on the Heat sideline.

At this point. For this upcoming game. To find a way to keep Doc Rivers from making coaching the central issue for why the Celtics advance and the Heat collapse.

Because for everything Erik Spoelstra has been in this Big Three remix, a championship-moment coach has not been one of them.

He simply lacks the rings. The rings Riley used to seduce LeBron James. The rings Jackson can use to leverage Rich DeVos into the type of riches that Jerry Buss simply would not consider.

Perhaps Jackson’s Zen ways will resonate from the Magic front office in a way that Riley’s driven disposition has not over this past week (have the Heat ever looked less like a Riley team?). Perhaps this is more than a money grab by Phil or an act of desperation from the desperate Magic.

But a great coach who is not coaching only serves to remind of what could have been, and what isn’t.

This is not to say Spoelstra is impotent. Riley, in fact, has kept his distance so as not to create appearances of usurping his coach’s influence.

But the more Riley has moved to the shadows, the less assured the approach on the sideline.

What Riley has been from the front office is a master recruiter, be it luring James or Chris Bosh, or getting supporting players to take less as free agents.

Phil Jackson would provide similar cachet. Perhaps Orlando no longer would come off as such a distant outpost to free agents.

But when considering the impact of all-time great coaches as front-office game-changers, consider one essential element: